Christianity As Mystical Fact

WHEN RELEASED FROM THE BODY YOU ascend to the free aether, you will
become an immortal god, escaping death. In these words Empedocles
epitomizes what the ancient Egyptians thought about the eternal in man
and its connection with the divine. Evidence of this is provided by
the so-called Book of The Dead which has been deciphered by the
diligence of nineteenth century research workers. (See Lepsius, Das
Totenbuch der alen Ägypter, Berlin, 1842.) It is the greatest
coherent literary work of the Egyptians which has been preserved to
us. It contains all kinds of teachings and prayers, which were put in
the grave with each dead person to guide him when he was released from
his mortal frame. The Egyptians' most intimate conceptions about the
eternal and the genesis of the world are contained in this literary
work. These conceptions indeed indicate ideas of the gods similar to
those of Greek mysticism.  Of the various deities worshiped in
different parts of Egypt, Osiris gradually became the favorite and
most universally acknowledged. In him the ideas about the other
divinities were summarized. Whatever the Egyptian populace may have
thought about Osiris, the Book of the Dead indicates that according to
the ideas of priestly wisdom he was a being which could be found in
the human soul itself.  This is expressed clearly in everything they
thought about death and the dead. When the body is given up to the
earth, preserved within the earthly element, then the eternal part of
man sets out upon the path to the primordial eternal. It is called to
judgment before Osiris, who is surrounded by forty-two judges of the
dead. The fate of the eternal in man depends upon the verdict of these
judges. If the soul has confessed its sins and is found to be
reconciled with eternal righteousness, invisible powers approach it,
saying, The Osiris N. has been purified in the pool which is south of
the field of Hotep and north of the field of Locusts, where the gods
of verdure purify themselves at the fourth hour of the night and the
eighth hour of the day with the image of the heart of the gods,
passing from night to day. Thus within the eternal cosmic order the
eternal part of man is addressed as an Osiris. After the title Osiris,
the individual name of the person concerned is mentioned. The person
who is uniting himself with the eternal cosmic order also calls
himself Osiris. I am Osiris N. Growing under the blossoms of the
fig tree is the name of Osiris N.
(see Note 60)
Thus man becomes an Osiris. The
Osiris-existence is only a perfect stage of development of human
existence. It seems obvious that even the Osiris who judges within the
eternal cosmic order is none other than a perfect man. Between human
existence and divine existence is a difference in degree and number.
At the root of this lies the conception of the Mysteries concerning
the mystery of number. The cosmic being Osiris is One; nevertheless
he exists undivided in every human soul. Each man is an Osiris, yet
the one Osiris must be represented as a special being. Man is engaged
in development; at the end of his evolutionary course lies his
existence as a god. Within this conception one must speak of divinity
rather than of a perfected, completed divine being.

There is no doubt that according to such a conception only one who has
already reached the gate of the eternal cosmic order as an Osiris can
really enter upon Osiris-existence. So the highest life man can lead
must consist in changing himself into an Osiris. In the true man an
Osiris must already live as perfectly as possible during mortal life.
Man becomes perfect when he lives as an Osiris, when he experiences
what Osiris has experienced. In this way the Osiris myth receives its
deeper significance. It becomes the example of a man who wishes to
awaken the eternal within him. Osiris had been torn to pieces, killed
by Typhon. The fragments of his body were cherished and cared for by
his consort Isis. After his death he let a ray of his light fall upon
her, and she bore him Horus. Horus took over the earthly tasks of
Osiris. He is the second Osiris, still imperfect but progressing
toward the true Osiris.  The true Osiris is in the human soul. The
latter is of a transitory nature at first. However, its transitory
nature is destined to give birth to the eternal. Therefore man may
consider himself to be the tomb of Osiris. The lower nature (Typhon)
has killed the higher nature in him. Love in his soul (Isis) must
cherish and care for the dead fragments; then will be born the higher
nature, the eternal soul (Horus), which can progress to
Osiris-existence. Whoever strives toward the highest existence must
repeat in himself, as a microcosm, the macrocosmic, universal process
of Osiris. This is the meaning of the Egyptian initiation. The
process Plato describes as cosmic,  i.e., that the Creator has
stretched the soul of the world upon the body of the world in the form
of a cross, and that the cosmic process is a redemption of this
crucified soul
(see Note in Chapter 4)
(see page)  on a small scale this process had to happen
to man if he was to be capable of Osiris-existence. The neophyte had
to develop himself in such a way that his soul-experience, his
development as an Osiris, became identified with the cosmic Osiris
process. If we could look into the temples of initiation where people
were subjected to the transformation into Osiris, we would see that
what happened there represented microcosmically the creation of the
world. Man, who is descended from the Father, was to give birth in
himself to the Son. The spellbound god, whom he actually bore within
him, was to be revealed in him. The power of earthly nature suppressed
this god within him. First this lower nature had to be buried in order
that the higher nature might rise again. From this it becomes possible
to interpret what is told of the processes of initiation. The
candidate was subjected to secret procedures. By means of the latter
his earthly nature was killed and his higher nature awakened. It is
not necessary to study these procedures in detail. One must only
understand their meaning. And this meaning is contained in the
acknowledgment which everyone who has been through initiation could
make. He could say: Before me floated the endless perspective, at the
end of which lies the perfection of the divine. I felt the power of
the divine within me. I buried what holds down this power within me. I
died to earthly things. I was dead. As a lower man I had died; I was
in the netherworld. I communicated with the dead, that is, with those
who already have become part of the circle of the eternal cosmic
order. After my sojourn in the nether world I arose from the dead. I
overcame death, but now I have become different. I have nothing more
to do with transitory nature. My transitory nature has become
permeated by the Logos. I now belong to those who live eternally, and
who will sit at the right hand of Osiris. I myself shall be a true
Osiris, united with the eternal cosmic order, and judgment over death
and life shall be placed in my hand.  The neophyte had to undergo the
experience which could lead him to such an acknowledgment. The
experience which thus approached man was of the highest kind.

Let us now imagine that a non-initiate hears that someone has
undergone such experiences. He cannot know what has really taken place
in the soul of the initiate. In his eyes, the initiate has died
physically, has laid in the grave and has risen. When expressed in
terms of material reality an occurrence which has spiritual reality at
a higher stage of existence appears to break through the order of
nature. It is a miracle. Such a miracle was initiation. Whoever
wished really to understand it must have awakened within himself
powers which would enable him to reach a higher stage of existence. He
had to prepare the whole course of his life in order to approach these
higher experiences. However they might take place in individual lives,
these prepared experiences always had a quite definite, typical form.
So the life of an initiate is a typical one. It may be described apart
from the individual personality. Or rather, an individual personality
could be characterized only as being on the way toward the divine if
he had gone through these definite, typical experiences. As such a
personality the Buddha lived with his followers; as such a personality
Jesus at first appeared to his community. Today we know of the
parallels which exist between the biographies of Buddha and of Jesus.
Rudolf Seydel has pointed out these parallels strikingly in his book,
Buddha and Christ. We need only follow up the details to see that all
objections to these parallels are futile.

The birth of Buddha is announced by a white elephant who descends to
Maya, the queen. He declares that she will bring forth a divine man
who attunes all people to love and friendship and unites them in an
intimate company. In Luke's Gospel is written: ... to a virgin
espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David: and
the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her and said,
Hail thou that art highly favored ... Behold, thou shalt conceive
in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He
shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest. Maya's
dream is interpreted by the Brahmins, the Indian priests, who know
that it signifies the birth of a Buddha. They have a definite, typical
idea of a Buddha. The life of the individual personality will have to
correspond to this idea. Correspondingly we read in Matthew 2:1, et
seq., that when Herod had gathered all the chief priests and scribes
of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be
born.  The Brahmin Asita says of Buddha, This is the child which will
become Buddha, the redeemer, the leader to immortality, freedom and
light. Compare this with Luke 2:5: And behold there was a man in
Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout,
waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon
him ... And when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him
after the custom of the law, then took he him up in his arms, and
blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in
peace, according to thy word: for mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to
lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. It is
related of Buddha that at the age of twelve he was lost, and was found
again under a tree, surrounded by minstrels and sages of ancient
times, whom he was teaching. This corresponds to Luke 2:4147: Now
his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover.
And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the
custom of the feast. And when they had fulfilled the days, as they
returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem, and Joseph and
his mother knew not of it. But they, supposing him to have been in the
company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among their
kinsfolk and acquaintance. And when they found him not, they turned
back again to Jerusalem, seeking him. And it came to pass that after
three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the
doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that
heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.  After
Buddha had lived in solitude and had returned, he was received by the
benediction of a virgin: Blessed is the mother, blessed is the
father, blessed is the wife to whom thou belongest. But he replied,
Only they are blessed who are in Nirvana, i.e., those who have
entered the eternal cosmic order. In Luke 11:228 is written: And it
came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company
lifted up her voice and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare
thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. But he said, Yea rather,
blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it. In the
course of Buddha's life the tempter approaches him, promising him all
the kingdoms of the earth. Buddha will have nothing to do with this,
answering, I know well that a kingdom is appointed to me, but I do
not desire an earthly one; I shall become Buddha and make all the
world exult for joy. The tempter has to admit, My reign is over.
Jesus answers the same temptation in the words: Get thee hence,
Satan, for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him
only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him. (Matthew 4:10,11)
 This description of parallelism might be extended to many other
points: the results would be the same.  The life of Buddha ended
sublimely. During a journey he felt ill. He came to the river Hiranja,
near Kuschinagara. There he lay down on a carpet spread for him by his
favorite disciple, Ananda. His body began to shine from within. He
died transfigured, a body of light, saying, Nothing endures. The
death of Buddha corresponds with the transfiguration of Jesus: And it
came to pass about eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and
John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray. And as he prayed,
the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white
and glistening. At this point Buddha's earthly life ends, but the
most important part of the life of Jesus begins here: Passion, Death
and Resurrection. The difference between Buddha and Christ lies in
what necessitated the continuation of the life of Christ Jesus beyond
that of Buddha. Buddha and Christ are not understood by simply
throwing them together. (This will become evident in the subsequent
chapters of this book.) Other accounts of the death of Buddha need not
be considered here, although they also reveal profound aspects of the
subject.

The conformity in the lives of these two redeemers leads to an
unequivocal conclusion. What this conclusion must be, the narratives
themselves indicate. When the priest sages hear about the manner of
the birth they know what is involved. They know that they are dealing
with a divine man. They know beforehand what conditions will exist for
the personality who is appearing. Therefore his career can only
correspond with what they know about the career of a divine man. Such
a career appears in their Mystery wisdom, marked out for all eternity.
It can be only as it must be. Such a career appears as an eternal law
of nature. Just as a chemical substance can behave only in a quite
definite way, so a Buddha or a Christ can live only in a quite
definite way. His career cannot be described as one would write his
incidental biography; rather, it is described by giving the typical
features contained for all time in the wisdom of the Mysteries. The
legend of Buddha is no more a biography in the ordinary sense, than
the Gospels are intended to be an ordinary biography of the Christ
Jesus. Neither describes an incidental career; both describe a career
marked out for a world-redeemer. The patterns for both must be sought
in the traditions of the Mysteries, not in outward physical history.
To those who have perceived their divine nature, Buddha and Jesus are
initiates in the most eminent sense. (Jesus is an initiate because the
Christ Being incarnates in him.) Thus everything transitory is removed
from their lives. What is known about initiates can be applied to
them. The incidental events of their lives are no longer described. It
is said of them, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God ... And the Word became flesh and dwelt
among us. (John 1:1,14)

The life of Jesus, however, contains more than the life of Buddha.
Buddha's life ends with the transfiguration. The most significant part
of the life of Jesus begins after the transfiguration. In the language
of the initiates, Buddha reaches the point where divine light begins
to shine in man. He stands before the death of the physical. He
becomes the cosmic light. Jesus goes further. He does not die
physically at the moment the cosmic light transfigures him. At that
moment he is a Buddha. But at the same moment he enters upon a stage
which finds expression in a higher degree of initiation. He suffers
and dies. The physical part of him disappears. But the spiritual, the
cosmic light does not vanish. His resurrection follows. He reveals
himself to his community as Christ. At the moment of his
transfiguration, Buddha dissolves into the hallowed life of the
universal Spirit. Christ Jesus awakens this universal Spirit once more
to present existence in a human form. Such an event had formerly taken
place in a pictorial sense at the higher stages of initiation. Those
initiated according to the Osiris myth attained to such a resurrection
in their consciousness as a pictorial experience. In the life of Jesus
this great initiation was added to the Buddha initiation, not as a
pictorial experience, but as reality. Buddha demonstrated by his life
that man is the Logos and that he returns to this Logos, to the light,
when his physical part dies. In Jesus the Logos itself became a
person. In him the Word became flesh.

What was enacted for the ancient cults of the Mysteries within the
Mystery-temples, through Christianity has been grasped as a
world-historical fact. His community acknowledged the Christ Jesus,
the initiate, initiated in a uniquely great way. He proved to them
that the world is divine. For the community of Christ, the wisdom of
the Mysteries was indissolubly bound up with the personality of Christ
Jesus. The belief that he lived and that those who acknowledge him,
belong to him, replaced what would have been attained previously
through the Mysteries.  Henceforth for those in the community of Christ
a part of what previously was only to be attained by the methods of
the mystics, could be replaced by the conviction that the divine is
given in the Word which had been present. The determining factor was
no longer only that for which each individual spirit had to undergo a
long preparation, but also the account of what they had heard and
seen, handed down by those who were with Jesus. That which was from
the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes,
which we ourselves have beheld, which our hands have touched,
concerning the Word of life ... that which we have seen and heard,
we proclaim to you, that you may have fellowship with us. Thus it is
written in the first Epistle of John.
This immediate reality is to
embrace all future generations in a living bond; as a Church it is to
extend mystically from generation to generation. In this way we may
understand the words of Augustine, I should not believe the Gospel
except as moved by the authority of the Church.
(see Note 61)
The Gospels, therefore, contain in themselves no evidence of their truth,
but they are to be believed because they are founded on the personality of
Jesus, and because in a mysterious way the Church draws from this
personality the power to make them appear as truth. The Mysteries
handed down through tradition the means of coming to the truth; the
Christian community propagates this truth itself. Faith in the One,
the primordial Initiator was to be added to faith in the mystical
forces which light up in man's inner being during initiation. The
mystics sought apotheosis; they wished to experience it. Jesus was
made divine; we must cling to him; then we are participants in his
apotheosis within the community established by him:  This became
Christian conviction. What was made divine in Jesus, is made divine
for his whole community. Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end
of the world. (Matthew 28:20) The one born in Bethlehem has an
eternal character. Thus the Christmas antiphon is able to speak of the
birth of Jesus as if it took place every Christmas: Today Christ
is born; today the Saviour has come into the world; today the
angels are singing on earth.
(see Note 62)
 In the Christ-experience a quite definite stage
of initiation is to be seen. When the mystic of pre-Christian times went
through this Christ-experience, then, through his initiation, he was
in a condition enabling him to perceive something spiritual  in higher
worlds  for which the material world had no corresponding fact. He
experienced what comprises the Mystery of Golgotha in the higher
world. Now when the Christian mystic goes through this experience,
through initiation, at the same time he beholds the historical event
on Golgotha and knows that in this event, which took place in the
world of the senses, is the same content as formerly existed only in
the supersensible facts of the Mysteries. What had descended upon the
mystics within the Mystery temples in earlier times thus descended
upon the community of Christ through the Mystery of Golgotha. And
initiation gives the Christian mystic the possibility of becoming
conscious of this content of the Mystery of Golgotha, while faith
causes mankind to participate unconsciously in the mystical current
which flowed from the events depicted in the New Testament and has
been permeating the spiritual life of humanity ever since.